Child in the labyrinth
by TiskTask
Summary: What would happen if a child were to enter the labyrinth?
1. Chapter 1

Here's a wierd idea that poped into my head today... Tell me what you think.

-TiskTask

_She looked around the room she was in. It was the orphanage. A fire burned merrily and rugs, pillows, and children covered the floor. An old lady waved to her from the rocking chair in the corner. "Hello my dear we were just about to start the story with out you." The old woman said. "Please join us." She gestured for Alexandra to take a seat with the rest of the orphans on the floor._

"_But, but" the child stuttered. "I've been adopted! I have a new home now." The old woman just shook her head. "Now Allie, I've told you before no home here will ever take good care of you like I can. That's why I won't let them adopt you." The old woman sighed as if Allie was a great burden. "You should stop running away and except your destiny. You are mine. So sit down!"_

_There was so much force in those last three words; Allie had no choice but to obey. The old woman started to tell a story about a goblin king and his love, but instead of listening Allie stared out the window behind the woman's rocking chair. Grey clouds covered the sky and the wind blew; making the tree out side dance and sway in time with the rhythm of the old lady's voice. Lighting illuminated the sky and the voice changed and she could no longer understand the words._

_Allie's eyes flicked to the old woman's chair only to find it was gone and in her place stood him, the Goblin king. As he spoke the children around her started to change into ugly creatures, goblins. Finally there was a pause in his words. All the children had been turned into goblins. Before her stood a door way leading to a maze that stretched out endlessly to the sides. A wall obstructed her view of what lay ahead._

_A soft silky voice sounded from behind her. "Which way will you go? To the left or to the right?" Allie's mouth grew dry with fear. She thought quickly knowing her life was on the line. "I'll go strait, thanks." She answered. "Very good" The voice replied. Allie sighed in relief. Finally a word of praise instead of a mocking laugh or a cutting retort. She took a step forward into the maze and the ground gave way beneath her feet dropping her into darkness. The mocking laugh followed her down the hole. "What a piety." _

Allie woke with tears streaming down her face. A moan escaped her. She cursed herself a moment later when her bedroom door burst open wide and her foster father ran in. " what's the matter sweetheart?" he said. "Are you okay?" She sighed trying to remind herself that it was only because he cared that he worried so much. "It's nothing, just a nightmare. "She replied trying to sooth him. "About the orphanage?" He sat down on her bed. "Do you want to talk about it? It might help."

"No I'm fine, really." Allie said quickly, but it was too late. "Was it about that crazy old lady? Are the dreams getting worse? I've got this new drug you could try to help you sleep." He said enthusiastically. "Oh no. I'm fine really." She said. _Oh god not another experimental drug! Why did I have to get adopted by the only guy who makes his own drugs and tests them on children!_ "Are you sure." He asked sounding hurt. "You'd only have to take it for a week."

"No that's okay." She said. "I'm going to get dressed now." Allie said in a not so subtle attempt to get rid of him. "Of course, of course." He said getting up to leave. "Alexandra if you need any thing you just tell me." She grimaced. "Call me Allie, and if you don't mind could I take a taxi to school?" She hesitated. _I shouldn't do this._ " I've never been in one before" Her foster father smiled kindly. "Nine already and you've never been in a Taxi? We'll just have to fix that now won't we?" He walked out the door. "Money and a phone number will be on the table for you when you're ready to go. I'll come and get you after school to take you home." _Oh no you won't._ Allie thought grimly. _I'm going to find my real home_. A half an hour later Allie was in a taxi going back to the orphanage she had left over a year ago.

No one saw the owl sitting in broad daylight staring intently as if stalking a prey. If they had they would have notice it staring a young girl climbing into a taxi. Bewildered, they would no doubt have jerked their attention back to the owl only to find it gone and no sight of it in the sky.

Sorry it's kind of slow, but it will pick up soon!

Plus- Here's a challenge for you. Make a story about what would happen if a child were to enter the labyrinth.


	2. Chapter 2

Well here you go the second chapter. I really do hope you enjoy!

-TiskTask

Allie stared out the window of the taxi watching the landscape blur and tried to keep her mind on the task ahead of her, but her mind kept wondering back to her dream. She had been having the dream for a while now but it always turned out the same, in failure. At first she had treated it as a game, a diversion from every day life, but then it had become something more. _Why can't I get any where?_ She thought with a sigh. _I've chosen every route I can think of but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Maybe I should tell him I chose to fly over it._

"We're here, little lady." The taxi driver said interrupting her thoughts. "Your fee comes to..." He halted mid sentence as Allie handed him a twenty. "Keep the change." She said, as she got out of the car. "Oh, and by the way. I was never here. You never picked me up." The man would have laughed at the child and her silly games but something about the seriousness of her voice stopped him. As he looked into her eyes and saw the utter power lingering there he became thoughtful. "Okay little miss, what ever you say." He sighed. "Just don't get your self hurt all right?"

The little girl looked at him as if confused for a moment and then beamed at him. "Of course not." She said and then walked into the gloomy orphanage. The taxi man shook his head as he watched her go. He decided that just this once he would break the rules. His gut told him he'd rather not be involved.

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The receptionist lifted her head as Allie entered. "Hey Alexandra." She said in surprise. "What are you doing back here?" Allie winced at the use of her full name, but managed to smile. "Oh good you remember me. I thought I'd have to explain who I was." The receptionist laughed "after all the trouble you put us through running away how could I ever forget you?" Allie grinned at that. "Oh Sandy, you know it only counts as running away if you actually get away." Sandy laughed again then quickly frowned. "You didn't…"

"Oh no." Allie said quickly to soothe her. "Every time I tried something happened to prevent it." She sighed. "I've been there for three weeks and only managed to get out of the house once." Sandy smiled kindly. "Hey every body runs out of luck some times. So what can I do for you?" Allie took a deep breath, this was the moment she had prepared for. Now was the time to see if her bluffing skills were worth anything. "My foster father sent me. He said I could see my file and find out about my parents."

Sandy smiled and dug around in a desk drawer. "Here you go. I'm afraid you won't find much that you don't already know but it's worth a look." She said handing a stack of papers. "What you're looking for should be on the bottom of the stack. Go read it in the waiting room. No one will bother you there." Allie nodded and walked off. A feeling of exhilaration came when she realized her success, but it was quickly replaced with dread at what she would find.

She dug out the bottom sheet without even looking at the rest of it and began to read.

Alexandra Born August 30th 1996. _Wow today's my birth day and I didn't even know it. _Allie mused as she read. It continued to list her length, weight, Hair (blond), and eye color. (Blue or green could never tell because they changed with her mood.) Finally she found what she was looking for, the description of the day she was found. The hand that wrote it had been old, even back then, and the writing was a bit hard to make out but Allie managed.

_August 30th 1996- There was a horrible storm and the wind shook the building but I was still able to hear the baby scream. I ran to the door only to find a new born baby and a note. The note said that her name was Alexandra and that she was to be taken care of. I wonder what the parents expected me to do at an orphanage. The note also said that he'd be back for her but I doubt it. They very rarely come back and never deserve the children back when they do. As soon as I picked up the baby she was quite and has been that way ever since, her eyes wide open, taking every thing in. I have a feeling destiny has a special role for her to play. _

The note ended there and there was nothing left on the page. Allie sat back and willed herself not to cry. She was a big girl now. A whole ten years old. _So that's it then. I'm a foundling with no background and just as little importance._ She thought angrily. _I don't know what I got my hopes up for. I always knew life wasn't a fairy tale in which I could find my family and have them take me back. It's nothing new._ She bowed her head to hide the tears forming in her eyes. She looked accusingly at the stack of papers as if they were some how to blame. Something caught her eye. On the line titled adopters' printed name was Jereth. _That's not right._ She thought. _Wasn't her foster father's name Tom?_

"The note wasn't all I found with you." Said a withered voice from the doorway. _It's that crazy old lady again. _Allie thought. "I also found a book. The note said to give it to you when you got curious about your parents. She looked up at the old woman who had not changed in the ten years Allie had known her. In her hands was a little red book. In gold print the title, The Labyrinth, was written across the cover. "Isn't that the story you were always telling me?" She asked slowly. "Read it and find out." The old women said handing her the book. She hobbled out of the room presumably to go back to her rocking chair.

Allie stared at the book. It drew her and seemed to call to her, begging her to read it. She shrugged and opened it to the first page. As she began reading a voice seemed to speak to her, echoing her dream._ Very good._

What do you think? Any advice would be helpful as would any criticism!


	3. Chapter 3

Well, you get new info in this chapter! Jareth will show up next chapter, I promise!

Also, Please Review! I want to see the light, no matter how much it burns! (Pause for dramatic effect….) Okay so you know what I mean. The other writers aren't lying about reviews being our lively hood so please send some!

-TiskTask

On the inside cover a name was inscribed to prevent theft. The name was Sarah. Must be my mother, Allie thought as she read. The story itself was the same one the old lady used to tell, which explained why she thought she knew about my destiny. The book was old and well loved, with underlines under favorite parts like _Goblin king take this child of mine far away from me,_ and _You have no power over me._ Allie sighed as she ended the story. _This still doesn't tell me any thing about my mother._

Just as she was about to shut the book, something caught her eye. A piece of paper was taped to the last page of the book. It was folded in such a way that it looked as if it was the back page when really it was attached to it. Allie carefully removed the page and opened it. It was a page from a journal that had been ripped out. It was written by the Sarah lady, her supposed mother.

It outlined how she had made a stupid mistake one night and wished her brother away to the goblin king. Too late did she realize that she loved her brother, but the goblin king had refused to return him and had made her run the Labyrinth instead. Most of the info was about how she met her friends and describing what new challenge the Goblin King had put in her way. The last bit was exactly what Allie was looking for.

_ "Just believe in me, and you can have everything you want ... everything you have ever dreamed of ... your dreams, Sarah ..."_ From the very beginning he had offered her mother her dreams. If he is that powerful, to know every thing her mother ever wanted, then he must of known her like no other. He, this Goblin King, had the info Allie was looking for.

"Oh hello darling," Said a woman entering the waiting room. "Do you want to be adopted that badly? If you'd like I'll take you home with me." Allie blushed deeply. She was embarrassed for this woman since she obviously wasn't for her self. She wore a low cut dress with a hairy chest and had hairy man legs. "No mam, I've already been adopted." Allie gathered up the papers from around her and the little red book and quickly left the waiting room.

As she passed the front desk she said, "We have a code GID Sandy in the waiting room." Sandy looked up confused as Allie handed her the file back. "GID what's that?" Allie laughed. "You mean the old lady never told you the code she made all the orphans memorize?" Sandy nodded. "Of course she did, but there were so many I could never keep track." Allie shook her head sadly. "Yah she's a worry wart all right, but you ought to remember this one. GID stands for guy in dress." Sandy gasped and ran in to the main room were all the kids hung out, most likely to warn them.

_Not going to miss that._ Allie thought as she left. _I'll sleep in the park tonight and think of what to do next tomorrow. I better stay in a tree so I don't get caught again._ She sighed as she headed towards the park. "I wish I could make a deal with this Goblin King guy."

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An owl flew down from the tree it had been watching form. It seemed determined to beat the very wind itself in a race to the park.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay here you go… Sorry it took so long but first impressions are important. If you think I completely messed up this meeting tell me because this is the first time I've done this type of scene. Please, I beg you, REVIEW!

-TiskTask

Allie arrived at the park fifteen minuets before the police showed up to make sure no hoboes or homeless kids were sleeping here._ I don't see what the big deal is. Nobody else uses the park at night._ She thought as she headed over towards the river that ran through the park. All along it were cypress trees and, while difficult to climb, they had to be the best hiding spot if you got high enough because no one ever looks up.

She was too short to reach even the lowest branch on these trees. Luckily there was a tree that sat by itself, near the bridge with slightly lower branches then all the rest. By getting onto the railing of the bridge she should be able to reach the lowest branch. Allie pulled herself up on to the railing and slowly stood up by balancing herself on the tree._ It's okay. Just get yourself into the tree and every thing will be fine._ She said to herself. _I know I'm scared of heights but this is the only way. I've got to get in the tree. _

Carefully she looked up the tree that was supporting her and reached slowly for the first branch. "WhoWhooooooo!" Came the angry war cry of a white owl swooping out of the tree. It came strait at her and Allie tried to shrink backwards and protect herself with her hands thrown in front of her face. The railing was too small for this though and all she managed to do was fall backwards into the river.

_Now I'm wet and cold._ Allie thought angrily. _I'm not going to let that bird stop me from getting into the only sleeping place I can think of. I refuse to be caught again!_ She got up and climbed on to the bank. Glaring at the owl who had decided to watch her from the railing at the end of the bridge she shouted "Who you want to know who? I'll tell you who I'm Allie and you better remember that name because your going to pay. I'll…" She stopped talking when the owl turned into a strange man leaning against the bridge, watching her with an amused smile on his lips.

"And what, pray tell, will you do? Run away again? Maybe scream and cry like the baby you are? Hmmm?" Said the man. He was dressed strangely, in tight pants and a long billowing cape. His hair was blond and his eyes were mismatched, one was brown the other was blue. "What? Out of words little girl? Or would you like me to turn you into a Goblin?" He squatted down so that he was eye level with her. "Why did you call me Alexandra?" He said quitely.

Allie was terrified, but refused to let it show. "So you're him? This big and important Goblin king?" She asked in a tone that said _I thought so, but I expected more._ She thought that this would make him mad and she didn't want him mad, but since he said she called him here she had power over him. He stood up. "Is that the deal, then? I tell you I'm the Goblin King and I get you to be one of my subjects?"

Her mouth dropped open and any thoughts of power over him fled. "No!" she shouted. _When did I call him here? _She thought franticly. _If I remember why I asked here for maybe I can get him to go away. Oh no! I wanted him here to make a deal to find out about my mom. He can't leave, yet._ "I… I called you here to ask about my mom." Allie said, finding her voice. The Goblin king sneered. "And what, pray tell, makes you think I know your mother?"

He saw her indecision and panic rise. _Maybe I was wrong about her. Maybe she's not the one._ Then her face flushed red with anger and she opened her mouth to speak. "'Just believe in me, and you can have everything you want ... everything you have ever dreamed of ... your dreams, Sarah ...'" she quoted "Oh I think you know my mother. I think you know her better then anyone else did." She smiled, most likely thinking she now had the upper hand. _We shall see little one, we shall see_.

Allie had been smiling, anticipating victory, but her smile faded as the words had no effect on the Goblin King. He just stared at her curiously as if she were an animal he'd never seen before. "Ah, your Sarah's daughter. Yes I do remember her. But why should I tell you about her?" He said, arrogantly smirking. She glared at him. "I'll run your labyrinth and when I win you'll tell me every thing I want to know." He smirked. "And when you lose?" He made it a question though his voice clearly indicated that he believed she would lose. _"If_ I lose, you can make me into one of your subjects."

The Goblin King stuck out his hand. "Deal." She shook his hand and then gasped as she looked around her. She was on a hill overlooking the labyrinth.

So what do you think? Let me know ; )


	5. Chapter 5

Hey every one…Sorry it took so long to update but I was busy reading other people's fanfics and doing homework (at the same time). The poem said in the story is Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken. While it was a clichéd choice I couldn't find any thing better, so forgive me! I hope you like it… The story picks up from here on out.

-TiskTask

Allie looked around, stunned. Below them was the labyrinth, stretching out as far as the eye could see. She could see the castle far off in the distance. It had towers with turrets, massive walls, spires and domes, a portcullis and drawbridge; just as a castle should have. It was sitting on top of a sharply rising mound. From what she could tell it was grand, but not flashy.

She turned and looked upon the hill they were on as if the Labyrinth didn't concern her, but deep inside she was groaning. _What have I gotten myself into?_ Allie wondered. As she looked around a tree caught her eye. From its branches grew an old wooden clock with thirteen hours on it. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the labyrinth, starting now. I suggest you get started." Said the Goblin King from behind her. She jumped and then turned to glare at him, but he only smirked in reply.

_Fine be that way._ She thought at him. _Fine, I will._ Answered a voice in her head. She jumped again, but this time turned and ran down the side of the hill towards the labyrinth; not wanting to see if the voice was his.

Allie underestimated the steepness of the hill and because of that she fell after going only a few steps. She ended up rolling the rest of the way down, getting scratched up by the thorn bushes she rolled over. When she finally stopped it was at the base of the hill. _Not even in the labyrinth and already getting beat up._ She was to dizzy to know if she had thought it or if it was someone else.

She got up after a few false starts and faced the labyrinth wall. It was a typical brick wall with little bushes at its base that had fairies flying around them. Remembering that Sarah wrote she had been bit by one, Allie decided to avoid them. She turned her attention back to the wall, only to find that was exactly what it was, a wall. Where there had been a door in her dream there was only wall. "What the… That's not fair!" She said angrily. "There should be a door there!"

"Really, 'That's not fair.'" Came the Goblin King's voice from behind her. "You and your mother both…I really want to know what your bases for comparison are." She turned to face him, to angry to be scared. "You cheat! There was a door there and you moved it!" she yelled at him. He was sitting on a rock with a smirk on his face.

His eyebrow lifted at her words. "You children seem to take far too much for granted. Maybe I should take my winnings by default, since you seem so eager to give up solving my labyrinth?" He made it a question and instantly Allie's anger fled and was replaced by panic. "No! I'll do it!" she shouted. She faced the wall and bit her lip. "You'll see." She muttered.

_Okay maybe I am taking too much for granted._ She thought, looking carefully at the wall. _I know there's a door here, I just can't see it._ She looked left to right and found two cracks, exactly the same on different parts of the wall. _There_ she thought. She closed her eyes imaging the door in her dream so she could make sure it was in the right spot. When she opened her eyes she was no longer looking at the wall, but at the door from her dreams.

She smiled and turned back to the Goblin King, sticking out her tongue as she did so. "Nanny, nanny, boo, boo." She said. Allie turned and walked into the door way, her blissful manor disappearing as she recalled her dreams._ Snap out of it Allie. That's what he wants you to be…To afraid to try to solve the labyrinth._ She thought shaking her head.

Allie carefully looked in. There were only two directions to go, left or right, just as she had seen in her dream. She faintly recalled a poem she had once read. _Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to were it bent in the under growth…_ She looked down both ways but saw no end or turns in either of them. She looked back behind her and saw the goblin king watching her calmly, waiting for her to make a decision. "Which way is chosen the most." she asked not really expecting an answer. He looked surprised and then amused and pointed towards the right path way. Allie promptly turned the other direction, muttering softly to herself, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." Hoping it would for her too.


	6. Chapter 6

Here you go! A new chapter! (Tumble weed goes roll'en by) And there was much rejoicing I noticed.

-TiskTask

Allie kept walking until her feet hurt. She had started the labyrinth at least half and hour ago, but was still getting no where. She stopped walking suddenly and slammed her fists into the wall. "This isn't…" She stopped in the middle of her sentence, remembering what the Goblin king had said…Her mom had said it too._ But I'm not my mom…I'm not even sure if Sarah is my mom._

She sat down, leaning her back against the wall._ What am I doing? If I win I get info about a woman who a banded me and if I lose…Well it's not going to be pleasant._ Allie started crying into her knees; suddenly glad that no one was around to look at her. _No wonder he accepted the deal. He wins either way…I didn't even make him promise to take me home! Darn Goblin King!_

She sighed and took a deep breath. When she lifted her head you couldn't even tell she had been crying. If you're going to cry be quick about it and make sure you're alone. Crying shows weakness._ That's what the old lady used to say…And there's no way I'm going to cry in front of him! _She finally stood up._ Well the labyrinth's not going to solve itself…_

As she looked around she could see that the walls had grown moss with eyes on them. They seemed to wave to her from their stalks. "Hello…" She said to them; out of politeness and a lack of anything better to say." Their efforts to wave increased. One was trying so hard to get her attention that it fell out of the moss and landed on the ground. "Poor thing" She said. She picked it up and tried to reattach it but it was hopeless.

She looked at it and it seemed to be thrilled to be away from the others. "You don't like them do you?" It looked angry and glared in other eye stalks' direction. "I'll take that as a no. Well do you want to come with me until I can find a new place to plant you? It looked…well like an eye, but it stopped glaring.

"Okay so…Do you know how to get to the labyrinth?" She asked it. The eye seemed terrified and started squirming. "Hey hold it!" She yelled; trying her best not to drop it. It stopped but it kept looking around, as if for a way out. "I know that was a yes. So please show me…If you don't I'll be turned into a goblin and I think goblins_ could_ eat guys like you for breakfast. Please help me?" It finally calmed down and seemed to nod.

Smiling to reassure it she said, "Okay, so which way is it to the castle?" She turned in all four directions, but it looked calm until she faced the wall opposite for which it had come. "I hate to break this to you buddy, but that's a wall." It glared at her until she felt guilty. "Okay I'll try to walk through it but if I can't you have to find me a way around." Allie put the eye moss into her book bag hoping that if it did "go to the bath room" it wouldn't do in on top of her clean cloths.

The wall seemed solid enough, but she had asked and if she didn't like her answer all well, because knowledge once known can't be taken back. She took a step forward an closed her eyes.

She didn't hit a wall face first; this was the first good sign. The second one was she heard voices. "What are we doing?" Said a loud voice. The voice then yelped as the sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard. Then a small whispering voice said, "Durk keep your voice down! We're watching for a girl!" Allie's eyes flew open at this statement. She was standing behind what seemed to be a platoon of Goblins. A particularly ugly goblin form the front of the platoon was whispering franticly to the goblin with horns on its head and it was staring right at her.

Being able to guess what was next; Allie took off running barely noticing that there were no more brick walls, just hedges. "There she goes! Get her!" A voice shouted from behind her. A hand grabbed her book bag, but she slipped it off and kept running.

No one noticed as they ran by a moss eye stalk slip out of the dropped back as it put it's roots into the ground. It had decided that adventure was the last thing it wanted. That crazy girl was on her own! _Imagine! **Wanting to go to**_ _the castle!_

A y was coming up and Allie ran left. She ran strait into the dead end. She could hear the pounding of feet behind her. "She went to the right boys!" She shouted desperately. "We've almost got her!" As she watched, the Goblins ran past her and to the right. _Thank you!_ She thought, relived. Then she heard one more set of foot steps. "Wait for me guys!" Said the slow goblin. Instead of turning right on the course she had called out, it stopped and looked in the dead end she was hiding in. _He's a bit smarter then the others…Of course flattery will get you every where. And hopefully to the castle too!_

She smiled at the goblin and he smiled back. "Oh darn you got me…I guess I'm your prisoner now." He looked surprised at first and then he puffed out his chest in self importance. "Yes I caught you! You are my prisoner!" He seemed happy at this thought and walked into the dead end with her.

Only he wasn't walking. Allie realized as he got closer. He was ridding! It was a beast, shaped like a cross between a man and a lizard. It had a pony tail on its head and the Goblin used it to control the beast. "I'm Allie, who are you?" He stopped the mount and said "I am Durk, your capturer! You will come with me back to the beginning of the labyrinth!"

Her heart leapt into her throat but she managed to talk around it. "Oh no, Durk! You're a goblin knight and I am your prisoner! You must take me to the dungeon in the castle!" He thought about that for a minuet and then looked confused. "But I was told to take you back to the beginning of the labyrinth…" Allie shook her head. "That was by the lead goblin wasn't it?" Durk nodded and she continued. "What does he know?_ You_ caught me. And _you_ know that prisoners go to the dungeon. So you have to take me to the dungeon."

He looked proud and confident and said let's go to the castle. Follow me little prisoner!" He walked off and Allie followed after him.


	7. Chapter 7

Here you go folks! The poem in here is _Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening_ by Robert Frost. (What can I say? He does good work.) Enjoy!

-TiskTask

Allie stopped when the landscape around them changed from hegde walls to a forest. It was winter here and she could not help but look around in awe at the beauty of it. "Durk, where are we?" He stopped and dismounted. His mount shook its head and moaned softly, as if in warning. "We are still in the Labyrinth little prisoner… It is cold." He said. He sat down and started covering himself in the snowy leafs. She sighed. "What are you doing?" With out looking up the goblin answered. "It is cold…I cover myself in leafs to get warm. Then I sleep…when I wake up it will be warm."

She stifled a yawn. "Look I'm cold and tired too, but we've got to keep going! We've got to…got to…" Allie trailed off and sat down next to him when she realized she couldn't remember what they had to do._ Something about a deal or a promise._ She thought. "_These woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep."_ She recited. She yawed and laid her head back against a tree, no longer caring about the cold. "_And miles to go before I sleep,"_ She struggled to remain awake, but it was a losing battle._ "And miles to go before I sleep." _

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_She was dreaming, she was sure of it. She was in a bed, looking up at a ceiling covered with stars, but she was sure, that moments, before she had been in a wood looking up at tree branches. She moaned out loud, like she did when ever her dreams angered or confused her. _

_Her door burst open wide and a woman with long brown hair walked in and sat on the bed. She was very pretty and seemed familiar, though Allie was sure she had never seen her before…In fact she couldn't remember seeing any one before. "What's the matter Allie? Did you have a bad dream?" The lady asked. Allie tried to concentrate. "Yes… it was about a, a king and my mother… Sarah?" The lady laughed. "That's me silly; it couldn't have been much of a nightmare with me in it!" The woman jumped up. "Now come on I've made you breakfast! It's your favorite, waffles!" _

_The woman's happy manor infected Allie, and she smiled. Why worry about a silly dream when there were home cooked waffles! She laughed and ran down stairs, chasing after her mother. She stopped when she got to the dining room. There was a man sitting there, he looked like the king in her dream…but no. His blond hair was much shorter and his eyes were both blue. _

_He looked up from the paper he was reading, and smiled at her. The blissful mood returned and she banished the dream completely from her mind. After eating her waffles her father drove her to school. As she was getting out of the car he promised to take her out to dinner that night because it was her birthday._

_Allie's first class was English and her teacher was Mister Jareth. All of her class mates agreed his class was the hardest because he asked strange questions that no one knew the answer to. As the bell rung, their teacher walked into the class. He looked a lot like her dad, only with longer hair and mismatched eyes._

_"Today class we will be defining words." He said. There were many groans at this and Allie's happened to be the loudest. His strange eyes flicked to hers and he frowned in disapproval. "Do you have a problem with that Miss Alexandra Williams?" He asked with a slight sneer, as if she were not worthy of his time. She instantly disliked him and sneered right back. "It's Allie, and no I do not have a problem with that." She stressed the that so he would know it was him she had a problem with._

_He seemed unaffected by her attitude and where another teacher would have sent her to the principal's office, he merely resumed the class. "Well then, perhaps you would like to go first." He said. "What is a Labyrinth?" Allie began to panic when she realized that she did not know and she dug around in her bag for her book. "Well? What is the answer, Miss Alexandra?" He asked impatiently._

_"Patience is a virtue." She snapped at him as she pulled out her book. Its title was strange. **The Diary of Sarah Williams: the Labyrinth**, it said. She wasted no time worrying about it and opened the book. She read the bold words written on the page. "Corridors doubling, winding, and colliding into one another…Looking like thousands of fingerprints laying side by side, over lapping one another…one can not tell if it just happened or if it had all been planned out…"_

_Allie looked up at the man, suddenly confused. "Who are you really?" Jareth smirked and answered, "Why I am your teacher and you are my pupil…No matter what you believe." He laughed and all the children around her did as well, only they were no longer children, but goblins. She looked back at him, studying him carefully. "You're the Goblin King, aren't you?" She said. He threw back his head and laughed, only to her, it sounded like a long and painful moan._

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Allie was jerked out of sleep, by a loud moan. Durk's mount stopped the dreadful noise it was making as soon as she sat up. The air around them had become warm and the forest was no longer covered in snow. Durk sat up and smiled. "See, Durk knows." He said getting up, not bothering to brush himself off. "Now I take little prisoner to the castle."


	8. Chapter 8

Yay! I made it to chapter 8! I don't know why this makes me happy but it does.

-TiskTask

Jareth frowned at the crystal ball. In it was Alexandra following _his_ goblin strait towards the castle. _What is it with this family and turning my subjects against me?_ He thought and turned to the battalion of goblins who had been sent out to catch the girl and send her back to the beginning of the labyrinth. "Why didn't you catch her? I told you I wanted her caught!" He shouted at them like a spoiled brat. The flinched all the same and Jareth sighed and sent them away.

_Let it end one way or another…I don't care. So long as I don't have to act like a child any more!_ He thought. The rules of the labyrinth stated that the king of the labyrinth could only be as scary as the challenger could take…and the limit of scary was already set by the age group. Apparently the former Goblin Kings didn't want any one taking advantage of the challengers by scaring them to the breaking point. Not to point of giving up, that was all right, but to the point of brain damage. _I am going to have to fix that one of these days_. He thought. _But right now I have bigger problems to worry about_.

He looked at the crystal ball again and saw that they were coming up to a split in the road. He smiled to himself. _Time to put on an appearance. I don't want her to forget me so soon, when I still have so much of my kingdom to show her._

Durk's mount tripped and fell, sending Durk face first into the ground. He got up but his mount had already run off; spooked by the fall. _We don't have time for this._ Allie thought. She sighed and said to Durk, "Why don't you go and get him… I'll meet you up ahead." The goblin didn't say any thing. He was already running off towards his mount.

Allie turned and looked back to the trail they had been following and was surprised to se that in ended at a fork. To the left was a cave and to the right was more trail and forest. She looked into the cave and saw a glimmer of light; as if something shiny was reflecting the light. _I wonder what it is…_She thought. She looked behind her but saw no sign of Durk.

_He's probably forgotten about me by now, poor thing. The Goblin King won't be nice to him when he gets back to the castle._ Finally curiosity got the better of her and she walked into the tunnel. The closer she got to the shiny object the farther away it got. Soon the tunnel got to small for Allie to stand in and she had to crawl. _What ever that thing is it better be worth it. _She thought as she crawled down the endless tunnel.

Looking ahead she was momentarily blinded; the shiny object sent out a flash of light so bright it hurt her eyes. When her eyes adjusted she could see that she was in an underground chamber full of naked moles that had huge teeth. "crud." She said standing up. Their eyes were closed but when she spoke all of their heads turned towards her. They kind of inched towards her; their short legs were having trouble moving their bodies and large heads. When ever they ran into each other they would bite until it bit back.

At the other side of the cave stood the goblin king. He smirked at her. "Like them? Good because as a goblin you will most likely use them." Allie stayed quite; she didn't want any more attention form the mutated moles then she already had. She backed up until she hit the wall and cursed silently when she found that the cave had closed behind her. _Jerk_! She thought, hoping some how he would hear and then slowly tried to edge her way around the biting creatures.

Though her feet hardly made a sound on the dirt floor of the cave their heads followed her movements across the room. They got closer and she realized that no matter which way she went they would be on her at any moment. She had effectively trapped herself, the only way she could gain herself more time to think was to stay right where she was.

The Goblin King laughed at her and she glared right back. The mole things took no notice of him, but they had slowed their walk to her. "Well you never answered me, do you like them?" Allie glared at him even more fiercely and bent down. She picked up a rock and figuring it was worth the risk said, "No but I'm sure you'll like this." She threw the rock and while it sailed over his right shoulder he didn't even flinch.

He scowled at her. "No I did not like that Alexandra, that wasn't very nice." He said and vanished. _Finally, I can think again._ She thought and looked back to the bitter moles. A few near the back of the group had turned around and were heading right toward the rock she had thrown.

Allie smiled as an idea came to her. _Thank you._ She thought to what ever might be listening. She then picked up a few more rocks and started to guide the bitter moles toward the other side of the cave. By the looks of it there was an exit and therefore a way out. _It could just be me but I think I'm getting smarter._ She thought gleefully as she continued toward the door.


End file.
